JCJC Scholars’ Bowl dominated by West Jones team

ELLISVILLE – Perennial winner of Jones County Junior College’s High School Scholars’ Bowl fought off new foes like Presbyterian Christian High School and was able to defeat annual challengers like Laurel Christian High School and Northeast Jones. The all male, West Jones High School scholars bowl team emerged as victors for a seventh straight year.

“It makes me happy that other schools are putting the time and effort into competitions like this,” said West Jones High School sponsor, Mark Brown. “It reflects a well-rounded education, and it’s a worthwhile competition.”

West Jones didn’t compete the first year of JCJC’s High School Scholars’ Bowl competition in 2003 when the Laurel Christian Home Educators won, however they’ve dominated ever since. The team regularly practices ‘buzzing’ in and studying, however West Jones junior, William Lyon said being fast on the buzzer is not always beneficial. He admitted it cost the team points a few times. “We were a little too fast and didn’t finish hearing the question or misunderstood the question.”

Laurel Christian High School’s team, made up of all seniors felt like they were in a déjà vu situation facing West Jones in the championship round. “This is exactly what happened last year,” said Alex Hendry. “Overall our performance improved though.”

“We weren’t as fast on the buzzer,” added LCHS’ Jessica Tibbs.

This was the LCS team’s final attempt to upstage the Mustangs. A new LCS team will face the returning junior West Jones team next year, as seniors move on to more challenges in college.

Senior team members from these two winning teams leave this year’s competition with a few prizes and memories. Each earned a tuition scholarship to JCJC. LCS team members won a $75 cash award and the West Jones team won $150 cash each. Lyon and Hendry both answered the same number of questions correctly during the semi-final competition and were also awarded a plaque for their efforts.

The sixteen teams, representing Greene County, Laurel Christian High School, Mize Attendance Center, Northeast Jones, Perry Central High School, Presbyterian Christian School, Quitman High School, Richton High School, Seminary Attendance Center, Stringer Attendance Center, Sylva-Bay Academy, Taylorsville High School, Tylertown High School, Wayne Academy, Wayne County High School, and West Jones High School were divided into two pools. They challenged each other in a series of timed, preliminary round-robin, elimination contests to earn the right to be in the semi-final round.

First place contender from pool ‘A’, Mize Attendance Center, squared off against pool ‘B’s fourth place challenger, Richton. Mize lost to Richton in the first round of semi-finals and Richton was beat by LCS in the second round of semi-finals 120 to 40. As the second place finisher in pool ‘B’, LCS outscored Taylorsville who was the third place contender in pool ‘A’. West Jones came into the semi-final round in first place in pool ‘B’. They defeated Wayne County who was fourth place in pool ‘A’ and earned the right to take on Northeast Jones in the semi-finals. Presbyterian Christian was third place in pool ‘B’ however they lost to Northeast Jones, the pool ‘A’ second place contender in the first round of semi-finals.

Familiar contender, NEJ was outscored by West Jones 100 to 40 in the semi-finals, setting up the heated LCS vs. West Jones match. Throughout most of the championship round the top teams were within 10 points of each other until the mustangs won the tenth toss up question. They distanced themselves by correctly answering a question about physics, James Bond and the famous ‘Surgeon’s Photograph” of the Loch Ness monster of Scotland.

“This has really been great for me,” said West Jones senior, Chaning Green. “I now have tuition money to come to JCJC!”

All of the prizes and resources used to put on the Scholars’ Bowl would not be possible without a lot of help from JCJC administration, and our sponsors, B COM Inc, Bosun Joes, Cengage/Wadsworth Publishing, Howard Technology Solutions, Roberts Company, and Sanderson Farms, noted JCJC coordinators, Julie and Carson Atwood.